Efforts To Restore Eliminated Enfield Sports Focus Of New TV Program
ENFIELD, CT — The diligent fundraising efforts by four members of the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame to restore the recently-cut middle school and freshman sports programs in town is the subject of a new program produced by Cox Communications Public Access.
Save Our Sports, the umbrella name under which the quartet of athletic dignitaries is raising money needed to bring the programs back for the 2025-26 academic year, is the title of a 30-minute program, during which committee members Russ Tyler, Paul DaSilva, Bob Bromage and Peter King discussed the formation of the organization and future plans with host Tim Jensen.
Bromage, head baseball coach at Enfield High School for nearly four decades, said $100,000 “seems to be the magic number.” Tyler added the dollar figure was provided by deputy superintendent of schools Andy Longey.
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The three men talked about the importance of children learning about participating in a team environment from an early age, and how in some sports without youth programs in town, such as field hockey, student-athletes are not exposed to the sport until they reach high school.
Tyler, a multi-sport standout for the Raiders in the 1960s who went on to become a basketball star at Brown University, reminisced about his first scholastic coach, Angelo Lamagna. “We learned from Angelo something called discipline, and we learned from Angelo something called team play,” he said.
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DaSilva, who was the first 1,000 point scorer in Enfield history before starring at the University of Hartford, kicked off the campaign by creating a GoFundMe account. He wrote, “One of the casualties of the cuts: all 17 middle school and freshman boys and girls sports teams. This means 279 kids who need the kind of vital after-school activities for minds and bodies will go without the coaching and teaching and physical fitness those sports provide this year.”
A big event being planned by the committee is “A Night With Peter King,” scheduled for Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Enfield High School auditorium. The recently-retired King, who spent about three decades as chief NFL writer for Sports Illustrated and is considered one of the top pro football experts in the country, will share stories and answer questions from audience members.
A 1975 Enfield graduate, King joined Jensen via Zoom from his home in Brooklyn, N.Y. for the second half of the TV program. He explained why the cause of restoring sports back in his old hometown, where he has not lived for more than 40 years, is so near and dear to his heart.
“One of the great things about Enfield is that I have so many incredible memories about growing up there, and so many of them revolve around sports,” he said. “When I think of 279 students on 17 athletic teams that don’t have a chance to do that this school year – in no way would I ever be critical of the school board for cutting these sports. I understand it’s crisis mode, I get it, but when Russ, Paul and Bob phoned and asked me to help, I said I’d do everything humanly possible to do.”
King has successfully reached out to many of his numerous NFL contacts to aid in the fundraising campaign. He said a phone call to Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta resulted in King taking a train to Maryland to meet for dinner with DeCosta and some local businessmen.
“At the end of it, one of the businessmen who is good friends with Eric handed us a check for $15,000,” he said. “You’re just blown away with something like that.”
A similar proposal to Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young resulted in the Greenwich High School alumnus telling King, “Peter, I’d be happy to do that, but why don’t I just give you the money?”
Other projects King has initiated include creation of a pair of fantasy football leagues. He has also collected donations from several anonymous sources within pro football.
“It has been a labor of love, especially with the three fellows I’m doing this with,” King said. “This has become a calling for those three guys, and I’m just happy that I can assist in my way.”
Tickets to “A Night With Peter King” are just $20, and may be obtained at https://gofan.co/event/1681287?schoolId=CT17389. King said the program, hosted by Tyler, will likely follow a Q&A format, but said he hopes it will be slightly different.
“I think we ought to just let the crowd ask whatever they want to ask, and I’ll stay there as long as anybody wants to stay,” he said. “This is about your hometown, and your hometown really, really needs you to come through right now.”
The Save Our Sports cable program is slated to air on Cox Channel 15 the next four Fridays at 9:30 p.m., and the net four Saturdays at 8 a.m. Those viewers unable to tune in at those times, or who live outside the cable service area, may access the show at any time by clicking here.
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